Come on already! Why are you hording your own house? Put it on the market already! Don't get cast in that hypothetical TV show, "House Horders"! (Is this a show already? I'm not sure. I would probably watch it.)
Weather-wise, it's becoming an early spring, and it's the perfect time to begin selling your home! Yet as you can see by my trusty chart in my video, house inventory is as flat as a pancake.
Everyone in the Milky Way is moving to Phoenix, and why wouldn't they move here? We have sunshine and happiness all year round. There's no digging yourself out of snow, mud, or other kind of natural disaster. (I can't guarantee you won't … [Read more...]

A friend of mine recently asked me about investing in a REIT, which is a Real Estate Investment Trust. There's been a lot of them poppin' up over the last 15 to 20 years - especially online. This particular one that she was looking at had $1,000 minimum. My friend asked, "I don't have the $1,000 now, but if I did is this a good idea?" The online REIT that she's looking at is so super-hipster right now too (because my friend who asked is also a hipster).
The site talks about crowd-sourcing and how you can become a real estate mogul just like everyone else! It's real sexy, amazing, gnarly, yadda yadda yadda.
A lot of REITs invest in … [Read more...]

We have spent 7.5 years in an awesome growth period as a country. On the flip side, this makes us well overdue for a little recession. That's pretty amazing though - considering we've come a long way from foreclosure and losing our homes back in 2008.
The interesting thing about being overdue for a recession is this: It's kind of like being overdue for a major earthquake in Los Angeles - except a tiny recession is much more likely to happen yet won't leave your life in shambles.
This mini-recession will not be anywhere near as bad as 2008. We won't have to rebuild an entire city, or country, for that matter.
Here are … [Read more...]

Isn't is beautiful! We got it last Friday. I wasn't home when it was delivered, so I missed the farewell to the doorstop that previously occupied this space. A new dishwasher. A thing of beauty. A marvel of modern technology. An end to dish-pan hands.
We bought this house just a tad over two years ago. This will be our 3rd Christmas in Downtown Mesa. That was a huge milestone for this statistical boomerang buyer, after spending 5 years in rental purgatory. You know where dishwashers come from in rental purgatory? Craigslist. "Re-furb'ed" if you are lucky. Duct-taped together more likely. The kind of dishwasher that gives you high hopes … [Read more...]

I have heard from several folks over the last week or so who are looking for a tiny home near Downtown Mesa so they can be a part the awesome Main Street community. And it's a good time to get in while the getting is good. A home near Downtown Mesa, within walking distance of the Light Rail, essentially put you within walking distance to Tempe and Phoenix, while enjoying the funky, artsy vibe that Main Street in Mesa offers.
If you haven't been downtown lately, check it out. There is so much going on! OK, it's still a little sleepy, but there aren't many places around anymore where the bartender knows your name, where the cook knows … [Read more...]

Sorry to interrupt your regularly scheduled PBS program in the drab, grey fields of irrational paranoia, fear and anarchy, but I have an important message for you: IT'S ALL IN YOUR HEAD.
WE ARE NOT IN A HOUSING CRISIS. We are not about to be in one either!
I know what you're thinking, "Oh, but Kristin, you're a REAL ESTATE agent. Of course you would tell us we're not in a housing crisis... You just want my $%#^@ MONEY!"
No.
I want you to be happy. And happiness comes from being educated by the facts. With knowledge comes power and confidence - not this fear bullcrap. Let's get rid of this fear thing. It never does anyone any good … [Read more...]

Everybody wants happiness in their life, right? Most folks start off with the notion that money is the key to happiness. If you work hard enough and achieve "success", you will be happy. But is that really the secret to happiness?
Since 1937, a dedicated group of Harvard researchers has conducted an exhaustive study of 724 men. The Harvard Study of Adult Development is one of the few studies of its kind that has endured more than one generation. The men included 268 sophomores at Harvard College and 456 teen-aged boys from some of the poorest neighborhoods in Boston. The study followed the group as they journeyed through life in many … [Read more...]

San Tan Valley is an unincorporated area suburban to Phoenix. It lies Southeast of Phoenix, in Pinal County. Now, it's not that incorporation hasn't been attempted, but this is the Wild West and some folks like it just that way it is. As of 2015, all attempts to incorporate the town have failed. Eventually, it's bound to happen.
In the meantime, San Tan Valley has experienced amazing growth. It was booming back in the early 2000's when the area offered homes at super affordable prices. What's a little extra gas money when you can have a great new home, right? But then, our little "crash" happened in 2007 and development in the area ground … [Read more...]

The Town of Queen Creek is a suburb of Phoenix, located primarily within Maricopa County. The Town Limits extend into Pinal County on the eastern and southern borders. To the east and south of the Queen Creek Town Limits, in Pinal County, is a large (est. 87,000 population in 2015) unincorporated community commonly called San Tan Valley.
Queen Creek has a country feel, a strong nod to the equestrian lifestyle. A quaint downtown area features brick store fronts, narrow sidewalks and a historic atmosphere. Recent development along Ocotillo and Ellsworth have produced large shopping malls that gain more ground, and more … [Read more...]

Downtown Mesa! It's coming alive folks. Back in the day, Main Street in Mesa was The Place, and like many downtown areas in the suburbs of Phoenix, it is enjoying a renaissance. With the opening of the light rail extension from Sycamore to Mesa Drive, Main Street has a new energy, an artsy vibe. The historic buildings are casting aside the past and inviting new businesses to wake up this blast-of-the-past town center. With a focus on art and music, Downtown Mesa welcomes an artist-centric culture to the East Valley.
This is Main Street USA, where people wave to you as you stroll down the street.
Stop in at Jarrod's Coffee, … [Read more...]